The U.S. Senate today approved a long-stalled measure that would provide $10 billion to prevent what supporters say would be hundreds of thousands of teacher layoffs nationwide. The legislation also includes some $16 billion in Medicaid aid to states, which would indirectly help K-12 education since, without the Medicaid funds, states would have had to make cuts to other programs, likely including schools.

Leaders of the U.S. House of Representative, meanwhile, are taking the unusual step of calling for lawmakers to return from their August recess next week to pass the final version of the bill. The House already approved a different version last month.

The Senate bill makes some cuts to education programs to help pay for the job aid, including $50 million from Striving Readers, an adolescent literacy program, $82 million from student financial aid administration, and $10.7 million from Ready to Teach, a telecommunications program for educators.